Your 2008 Web Marketing Plan
Author: Rich Brooks

Below you'll find twelve ideas to drive qualified leads to your
Web site over the next year. Even if you don't follow this exact
order, it might make sense to start with January and February's
tasks because they lay the foundation for the rest of the year.

January: Set Up Google Analytics. The reason why this is first
on your month-by-month plan is because you should have a
benchmark to compare to your year-end results. The reason I
suggest Google Analytics over any other traffic report program
is the price--free--and the quality, comprehension, and
usability of the program.

February: Do a Keyword Analysis. If you use the language of
your prospects they'll find you at the search engines. You can
uncover the words they use through an in-depth keyword analysis.


We used to recommend keyword analyses to businesses in
competitive industries. Now every industry is competitive on the
Web, and chances are your competition has already had a keyword
analysis done.

Use a tool like Keyword Discovery or WordTracker to help you
discover what your prospects are Googling, or have a
professional do an in-depth analysis.

March: Review Your Web Site. Take what you learned from your
keyword analysis and rewrite the copy on your Web site. Focus on
page titles, headers, and your body copy. It's also a good idea
to read through your site and excise any out-of-date copy.

April: Gather Information. There are so many amazing resources
out there for keeping up with what's going on in your
industry...or--better yet--your customers' industries. One of
the best ways to manage all of this incoming information is
through RSS: Real Simple Syndication.

Blogs, podcasts, search engines and many Web sites can generate
newsfeeds that you can subscribe to and manage in one place. Set
up a free account at Bloglines or a personalized Google page and
start subscribing. Then watch targeted news and information flow
your way.

May: Get Social with Social Media. Social media Web sites are
places where your customers and prospects congregate. You should
be there. Don't look at this as a place to push your products
and services, but rather to listen and learn. B2C companies
should check out MySpace, while any business can benefit from a
presence on Facebook or LinkedIn.

June: Focus on Your Blog. With your keyword analysis under your
belt and a fresh delivery of news and information on your chosen
areas of expertise, posting regularly to your blog should be a
snap.

I can't think of anything that can jumpstart your organic
search engine visibility and establish your expertise and
credibility quicker than a focused, content-rich blog.

Beginners: If you don't have a blog and aren't ready to take
the leap, consider finding the influential bloggers in your
niche, then read and comment intelligently on their blog. It
will be a good first step into the blogosphere.

Experts: Set a goal of doubling the number of subscribers to
both your RSS and email feeds. Put your feed signup "above the
fold," if it's not there already.

July: Get Ready for Your Close Up. Most Web marketers agree:
video is the killer app. Videos engage people in ways that words
often fail to do. Search engines such as Google and Ask are
returning video with traditional Web pages.

If you already have videos on your site consider setting up a
free account at YouTube, starting your own channel, and
uploading your videos there. A single video might bring you
thousands of visitors.

August: Spread the Word with Article Marketing. Article
marketing is an underutilized method of reaching thousands of
prospects that would have never heard of you otherwise.

By sending out short, targeted articles through an article
distribution service such as iSnare or The Phantom Writers, you
can drive links and traffic back to your Web site or blog.

Use your completed keyword research to help you write
compelling, click-worthy articles that can't be ignored.

September: Dust Off Your Email Newsletter. Email may be getting
a bad rap these days due to low delivery rates, but it's still a
cost-effective way of reaching a wide swath of Internet users.
Remember: no one's ever coming back to your Web site. Ever. Not
even your Mom. So get over it.

Instead, provide a compelling reason for them to subscribe to
your email newsletter so that you can stay in contact with them
and retain front-of-mind real estate for when they're ready to
make a buying decision.

October: Publish Your eBook. Remember when I told you to set up
Google Analytics? Well, now it's time to review your stats and
find out which keyword phrases are driving the most traffic to
your site.

Maybe it's "deep fry a turkey." Or "spanking alternatives." Or
"buying carbon emission credits."

Whatever's driving traffic to your site is an opportunity for
an eBook topic. It's an itch that needs scratching. Now, start
writing.

November: Give an Ear (or a Voice) to Podcasts. You don't have
to host your own podcast to realize and leverage the power of
podcasting.

You can find podcasts in your niche or industry by browsing the
podcast directory in the Apple iTunes store. (Don't worry:
they're almost invariably free, and no, you don't need an iPod
to listen to a podcast, just a computer.)

Listening may give you the impetus to start your own or to at
least contact some podcasters in your industry and see if they
want to interview you.

December: Put on a Webinar. The cost of putting on Webinars has
come down in recent years. Yugma.com offers free and inexpensive
methods to create your own Webinars, then you can record them
and sell them as digital downloads.

Whatever you method for delivery, Webinars allow you to
communicate with many people at once anywhere in the world.

In Conclusion: 2008 is going to be your best year ever...if you
start planning now. Don't try and do everything at once, but
budget time every month to accomplish your goals for that month.


About The Author: Rich Brooks is president of flyte new media,
a Web design and Internet marketing
company.(http://www.flyte.biz) Download his free article, "The
11 Biggest Mistakes Small Business Bloggers Make."
( http://www.flyte.biz/special/free-report/)